Reverse steering device for jet boat



Sept- 1 1964 J. w. REYNOLDS E'rAl. 3,146,588

' REVERSE: STEERING DEvIcEToR JET BOAT Filed April 22, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTGRS.

JAMES W. Rsvnoms and BY Rwunao L.CocHRAN )(M.

Fig. 2.

Sept. 1, 1964 J. w. REYNOLDS ETAL 3,145,538

REvERsE STEERING DEVICE EoR JET BOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1963 INVENTORS. JAMES W. REYNOLDS and By RlcHARD L. COCHRAN i fw. wwgwm amas Figli.

United States Patent O REVERSE STEERING DEVICE FR .FET BOAT James W. Reynoids, Indianapolis, Ind., and Richard L.

Cochran, Littleton, Colo., assignors to The Buehler Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Apr. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 274,538 1 Claim. (Cl. 60-35.54)

The present invention relates to jet propelled watercraft and more particularly to a means for controlling the direction of such craft.

One form of jet propelled boat incorporates an engine operatively connected to a pump located within a conduit extending through the boat from an intake opening at the bottom of the boat to an exhaust at the rear of the boat. Water is drawn into the conduit through the intake opening and is exhausted in a stream from the rear of the boat causing the boat to move forwardly. The direction of movement of the boat is controlled by deflecting the stream of water as it leaves the rear of the boat. For example, the stream could be deflected s as to cause the stream to ow beneath and forwardly of the boat causing the boat to move in reverse.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide in a jet boat improved means for controlling the direction of flow of the water as it leaves the boat and for controlling the direction of movement of the jet boat.

One manner in which the stream can be guided so as to move forwardly of and beneath the boat is by a fixed deflector as disclosed in an application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 164,481 of Howard P. Lerwick et al., Rolling Disc Type Gate, assigned to the same assignee as the present application. In operation, normal rearward flow of the stream of water is cut olf forcing the stream to exit at an be guided by the fixed deector. In designing the fixed deflector, the conflicting considerations are first to make the deiiector project sufficiently to guide the stream and second to make the deflector project as little as possible to that it does not create drag when the craft is moving forwardly.

Consequently, a further object of the invention is to provide a jet boat direction control incorporating deiiecting means which operate to properly and thoroughly guide the stream beneath the craft for reverse movement but which does not produce drag when the craft is moving forwardly.

A further problem which is present in many conventional jet boats is the lack of steering control when the boat is moving in reverse. Many times it is highly desirable that the craft be Capable of reverse steering to Y I shafts 56 which are received in suitable bearing portions aid in proper positioning of the boat at a dock, to aid in picking up water skiers and for other purposes. Consequently, another object of the invention is to provide the above type of jet boat direction control which can be operated to steer the craft while moving in reverse.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a jet boat incorporating the novel direction control of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged Vertical longitudinal section through the rearward portion of the watercraft of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the watercraft of FIG. l.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a jet boat 1t) having a hull 11 which 3,l46,533 Patented Sept. l, 1964 ICC is provided with an intake opening 12 at the bottom 13 of the craft. A conduit 15 is mounted within the craft and extends from the intake opening 12 to a housing 16 mounted on the transom 17 of the craft. The conduit i5 includes a discharge section 20 which opens into the housing 16 through a cylindrical aperture 21 in the forward wall 22 of the housing. A pump 25 is operatively received within the conduit 15 and is driven by a conventional marine engine 26 operatively connected to the pump 25 by a shaft 27. It can be appreciated that the pump 25 functions to pump water from the intake 12 into the housing 16. The water is constricted into a jet stream by the converging surface 28 of an annular member 27 xed within the rearward end Sii of the discharge section 2G by a snap ring 29.

The housing 16 is provided with an outer decorative covering 31. It further includes an inner housing or an inner functional box-like enclosure 33. This enclosure includes a rearward wall 32, the major portion of which is flat and generally perpendicular to the axis of the discharge section 2li. The inner enclosure or housing 33 further includes sidewalls 36 which are vertical and join the front wall 22 of the housing to the rearward wall 32 thereof.

A circular aperture 37 is formed in the rearward Wall 32 in registry with the end 30 of the discharge section 2t). When the gate 4t? is in the illustrated upward position of FIG. 2, the water jet formed by the tapering surface 27 of the annular member passes directly rearwardly through the aperture 37 without an appreciable portion of the water contacting any portion of the inner housing 33.

The above mentioned copending application of Howard P. Lerwick et al., discloses a gate similar to the gate 40 and explains the operation thereof. It is sutiicient for the present purpose to state that the gate 4t) can be moved downwardly to cover the aperture 37 to` block flow of water therethrough. Downward movement to such a position and to the illustrated upward position can be accomplished by pivoting of a lever 41 xed to the end 42 of a shaft 43 pivotally received within a bearing 44 mounted on the transom 17 and housing 16 so as to extend through the transom and the forward wall 22 of the housing. At the other end 5t) of the shaft 43, there is xed an arm 51, the radially outwardly projecting end 52 of which is pivoted to a further arm 53 which, in turn, is pivoted to the gate at the axis 54 of the gate 40. Thus, it can be appreciated that swinging of the lever 41 moves the gate 40 upwardly and downwardly.

A pair of deiiectors 55 are individually pivoted on 57. The deflectors 55 are positioned on opposite sides of the aperture 37 and are used to deflect the jet stream rightwardly or leftwardly (see FIG. 3) for steering the craft. The deliectors can be individually pivoted by means of a bifurcated member 58 lixedly mounted on the lower end of shaft 59. The shaft 59 is pivoted in bearings 59A integral with the inner housing 33. The shaft 59 and member 58 can be pivoted by a lever 59C extending into the craft. This steering apparatus is described in more detail in the copending application of James W. Reynolds and Robert L. Stevenson, entitled Jet Boat Steering Deflectors, S.N. 236,292, filed November 8, 1962, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

The inner housing 33 is provided with only one further water outlet in addition to the aperture 37. This further water outlet is the cylindrical opening 60 in the bottom of the housing. The rearward wall 32 of the housing is curved at 61 into a part-cylindrical shape which gradually changes the direction of water moving out of the discharge section 20 so that the water is moving directly downwardly when it leaves the housing 16. The housing 16 has a flat horizontal bottom 62 which is positioned above the bottom 13 of the craft. The cylindrical opening 60 is counterbored at 65 so that the outer portion 64 of the cylindrical opening is coaxial with, but of slightly larger diameter, than the inner portion 66 of the cylindrical opening.

A cylindrical ring 67 of relatively slight axial extent is mounted within the cylindrical opening with its internal surface 70 is alignment with the internal surface of the inner portion 66 of the cylindrical opening. The bottom edge of the ring 67 is spaced above the bottom 13 of the craft. The ring 67 has a relatively short axial extent as compared to its diameter. In the illustrated embodiment, the diameter of the ring is approximately three to four times the axial dimension. A plurality of vanes 71 are fixed within the ring 67 so as to extend transversely of the ring in parallel relation and so as to curve first downwardly and then forwardly of the craft. The ring 67 is provided with a central shaft 72 which is fixed to one of the vanes 71 and projects upwardly at 75 to a pivotal mounting within a horizontally and transversely extending bar 76 secured to the bottom 62 of the housing at the opposite sides of the opening 60.

When the gate is in a downward position closing off the aperture 37 so that water exits from the housing through the opening 60, the ring 67 may be used to steer the craft as it moves in reverse. Reverse steering is accomplished by conventional turning of the steering wheel or other steering means within the craft which causes the deflectors 55 to be pivoted. One of the deiiectors 55 is coupled to the ring 67 by a link 76. The link is pivoted by a screw 77 to a downwardly projecting member 80 depending from the deflector. The opposite end of the link 76 is pivoted by screw 81 to a radially extending element 32 integral with the ring 67. Thus, conventional operation of the steering means also rotates the ring 67 so that deflectors 71 guide the water in the desired direction steering the craft in reverse.

From the above description, it will be evident that the present invention provides improved means for controlling the direction of flow of the water as it leaves a jet boat and for controlling the direction of movement of a jet boat. It will also be evident that the present invention provides a jet boat direction control incorporating deliecting means which operate to properly and thoroughly guide the stream beneath the craft for reverse movement but which does not produce drag when the craft is moving forwardly. It will also be evident that the present invention provides, in addition to the above advantages, a jet boat direction control which can be operated to steer the craft while moving in reverse.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

A control system for jet propelled watercraft comprising a generally straight conduit mounted on the craft extending and opening rearwardly thereof, means for pumping water through said conduit to exhaust from said opening, said conduit being constricted at the opening thereof for forming the water into a jet, a housing secured to the conduit and covering the opening thereof, said housing having a forward wall and a rearward wall including a iiat portion generally perpendicular to said conduit and having at vertical sidewalls, said rearward wall having an aperture therethrough positioned in registry with said constricted conduit opening and jet, a gate received within said housing and movable between a position covering and blocking ow through said rearward wall aperture and a position uncovering said rearward wall aperture, a pair of deflectors mounted on said craft for pivoting about spaced vertical axes on opposite sides of said iirst exit, means operated from within said craft for pivoting said deflectors about said axes to deiiect said water stream as it issues from said irst exit, said housing having a further water outlet in addition to said aperture, said further water outlet being a passage which includes a portion extending rearwardly and downwardly between said vertical sidewalls, said further water outlet further including an exit which is circular in cross section and includes an inner reduced cylindrical portion and an outer enlarged cylindrical portion joined by a radially extending portion, a cylindrical ring received in said enlarged cylindrical portion and having an inner cylindrical surface in registry with said inner cylindrical portion, a plurality of parallel vanes fixed to and extending across said ring from one side to the other thereof, said ring being rotatably mounted on said housing by one of said vanes for pivoting about the axis of said ring, said vanes being parallel to one another and curving first downwardly and then forwardly with respect to said craft, one of said deflectors having a depending member secured thereto, said ring having a radially extending element fixed with relation thereto, a link pivotally connected to said radially extending element and to said depending member whereby said ring pivots with said one deiiector, said link being so arranged that a line drawn through and perpendicular to the axis of said linkelement connection and the axis of said link-depending member connection is generally parallel to and spaced from a line drawn through and perpendicular to the axis of said one deilector pivotal mounting and the axis of said ring pivotal mounting whereby clockwise pivoting of said one deiiector as viewed from a given direction produces clockwise pivoting of said ring as viewed from said given direction and counterclockwise pivoting of said one deliector as viewed from said given direction produces counterclockwise pivoting of said ring as viewed from said given direction.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,519,580 Gill Dec. 16, 1924 2,024,274 Campini Dec. 17, 1935 3,052,093 Keneiick Sept. 4, 1962 3,071,101 Basso Jan. 1, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 733,931 Great Britain July 20, 1955 866,033 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1961 

